Fitness has total body benefits

Exercise is a main pillar in chronic pain management for it’s well-known benefits, like increasing strength and range of motion, endurance and weight management, but physical fitness has other far-reaching benefits:

  • improved organ health
  • improved cellular health
  • improved mental health
  • improved cognitive functioning
  • stress relief 
  • reduced insomnia
  • improved overall mood 
  • stronger resistance to future disease and illness 
  • endorphin* release 

Endorphins are the feel good, uplifting, mood boosting hormones that can reduce stress, anxiety and depression.

Strength and Core Training


Benefits

  • Increase in flexibility and range of motion
  • Injury prevention
  • Improved posture

Activities

  • Yoga
  • Pilates
  • Tai Chi
  • Target stretching

Benefits

  • Increased muscle mass
  • Improved stability
  • Strengthens bones
  • Helps improve chronic conditions

Activities

  • Weights
  • Squats
  • Tae Kwondo
  • Resistance training
  • Push ups/sit ups

Aerobic Exercise

Recreational Activity


Benefits

  • Builds endurance
  • Increased oxygen uptake effciency
  • Improved heart health

Activities

  • Running
  • Swimming
  • Walking
  • Cycling
  • Zumba
  • Karate
  • Aerobic training machines

Benefits

  • Lifts mood
  • Improves self-esteem
  • Relieves stress

Activities

  • Canoeing
  • Skiing
  • Kayaking
  • Skating
  • Paddle Boarding
  • Snow-shoeing
  • Dancing

Multitask your fitness

Finding time for fitness can be difficult to balance with the rest of life’s responsibilities. Many household tasks and chores have surprising physical benefits.

Source

ChoreEquivalent Exercise/Calories Burned
30 minutes of vacuuming15 minutes of kickboxing/187 calories
Washing the car153 calories
Rearranging your closet85 calories
15 minutes of moving furniture100 calories
30 minutes of indoor redecorating167 calories
30 minutes of cleaning windows40 push-ups/167 calories
60 minutes of sweeping or mopping240 calories
15 minutes of scrubbing the tub30 jumping jacks/90 calories
30 minutes of gardening40 minutes of biking on flat terrain/250 calories
15 minutes of dish washing (every day for a week)Swimming 2500 metres/175 calories
60 minutes of cooking a meal150 calories
60 minutes of doing laundry100 sit-ups/100 calories

Suggested Weekly Exercise

2.5.png

2.5 hours/week – Moderate intensity

1.5.png

1.5 Hours/week – Vigorous intensity

5 hours/week – Ideal for increased health benefits

2.png

2 days/week – Strength and muscle-building training